Gas turbine airfoil with cooling enhancement

Abstract

A turbine nozzle vane segment includes one or more nozzle vanes extending between radially inner and outer side walls, each nozzle vane having a peripheral edge wall extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the vane. In one exemplary embodiment, at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel is formed in the peripheral edge wall at the leading edge, with openings at opposite ends of the cooling channel. The location and length of the cooling channels may vary about the peripheral edge wall, and the inner cavity of the vane may be provided with ribs extending along and adjacent the one or more cooling channels to reinforce the wall and to also provide additional cooling surface areas in the inner cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A turbine nozzle vane segment comprising:
 one or more nozzle vanes extending between radially inner and outer side walls, each nozzle vane having a peripheral edge wall including leading and trailing edges; and at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel formed in said peripheral edge wall with an inlet provided at one of said inner and outer side walls.   
     
     
         2 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  wherein said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel comprises plural, radially-oriented cooling channels including one cooling channel at a forward-most portion of said leading edge. 
     
     
         3 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  wherein said nozzle vane is substantially hollow, and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent and extending along said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel. 
     
     
         4 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 2  wherein said nozzle vane is substantially hollow, and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent extending along each of said plural, substantially radially-oriented cooling channels. 
     
     
         5 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 4  wherein said radially-oriented rib is located within an internal cooling cavity in said nozzle vane. 
     
     
         6 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  wherein said at least one radially-oriented cooling channel comprises multiple cooling channels at spaced locations about substantially all of said peripheral edge wall between said leading and trailing edges and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent and extending along each of said multiple cooling channels. 
     
     
         7 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 2  wherein said plural radially-oriented cooling channels have outlets at different radial locations between said inner and outer side walls. 
     
     
         8 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  wherein each said vane comprises an internal cooling circuit independent of, and not connected to, said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel, and an outlet to said at least one channel is located in the other of said inner and outer side walls. 
     
     
         9 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  wherein said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel has a round, rectangular or racetrack cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         10 . The turbine nozzle vane segment of  claim 1  where at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel is formed with different diameter portions along a radial length dimension. 
     
     
         11 . A turbine engine comprising a compressor, at least one combustor and at least one turbine stage including a row of stationary nozzle vanes extending between radially inner and outer side walls, each nozzle vane having a peripheral edge wall including leading and trailing edges; and at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel formed in said peripheral edge wall with an inlet provided at one of said inner and outer side walls. 
     
     
         12 . The turbine engine of  claim 10  wherein said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel comprises plural, radially-oriented cooling channels including one cooling channel at a forward-most portion of said leading edge. 
     
     
         13 . The turbine engine of  claim 11  wherein said nozzle vane is substantially hollow, and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent and extending along said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel. 
     
     
         14 . The turbine engine of  claim 12  wherein said nozzle vane is substantially hollow, and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent and extending along each of said plural, substantially radially-oriented cooling channels. 
     
     
         15 . The turbine engine of  claim 11  wherein said radially-oriented rib is located within an internal cooling cavity in said nozzle vane. 
     
     
         16 . The turbine engine of  claim 11  wherein said at least one radially-oriented cooling channel comprises multiple cooling channels at spaced locations about substantially all of said peripheral edge wall between said leading and trailing edges and wherein a radially-oriented rib is provided on an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall, adjacent and extending along each of said multiple cooling channels. 
     
     
         17 . The turbine engine of  claim 15  wherein said at least one radially-oriented cooling channel has an outlet connected to said internal cooling cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The turbine engine of  claim 11  wherein said vane comprises an internal cooling circuit independent of, and not connected to, said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel and an outlet to said at least one channel is located in the other of said inner and outer side walls. 
     
     
         19 . The turbine engine of  claim 11  wherein said at least one substantially radially-oriented cooling channel has a round, rectangular or racetrack cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         20 . A turbine engine comprising a compressor, at least one combustor and at least one turbine stage including a row of stationary nozzle vanes extending between radially inner and outer side walls, each nozzle vane having a peripheral edge wall including leading and trailing edges; and a plurality of substantially radially-oriented cooling channels formed about said peripheral edge wall including at said leading edge, said plurality of substantially radially-oriented cooling channels extending at least part way along a radial length between said inner and outer side walls and having inlets in or adjacent one of said inner and outer side walls; and a reinforcing rib extending along an inside surface of said peripheral edge wall adjacent each of said plurality of substantially radially-oriented cooling channels.